THE COMPLETE ANGLER. [PART i. 



part of the commendations which some philosophical brains 

 have bestowed upon the fresh-water Pearch : yet they commend 

 the Sea-Pearch, which is known by having but one fin on his 

 back, of which, they say, we English see but a few, to be a 

 much better fish. 



The Pearch grows slowly, yet will grow, as I have been 

 ciedibly informed, to be almost two foot long ; for an honest 

 informer told me, such a one was not long since taken by Sir 

 Abraham Williams, a gentleman of worth, and a Brother of the 

 Angle, that, yet lives, and I wish he may. This was a deep- 

 bodied fish, and doubtless durst have devoured a Pike of half 

 his own length ; for I have told you he is a bold fish, such a 

 one as, but for extreme hunger, the Pike will not devour : for 

 to affright the Pike, and save himself, the Pearch will set up 

 his fins, much like as a turkey-cock will sometimes set up his 

 tail. 



But, my Scholar, the Pearch is not only valiant to defend 

 himself, but he is, as I said, a bold-biting fish, yet he will not 

 bite at all seasons of the year ; he is very abstemious in win- 

 ter, yet will bite then in the midst of the day, if it be warm : 

 and note, that all fish bite best about the midst of a warm day 

 in winter, and he hath been observed by some not usually to 

 bite till the mulberry-tree buds; that is to say, till extreme 

 frosts be past the spring : for when the mulberry-tree blossoms, 

 many gardeners observe their forward fruit to be past the dan- 

 ger of frosts ; and some have made the like observation of 

 the Pearch's biting. 



But bite the Pearch will, and that very boldly ; and as one 

 has wittily observed, if there be twenty or forty in a hole, 

 they may be, at one standing, all catched one after another ; 

 they being, as he says, like the wicked of the world, not 

 afraid, though their fellows and companions perish in their 

 sight. And you may observe, that they are not like the soli- 

 tary Pike ; but love to accompany one another, and march to- 

 gether in troops. 



